The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-07-28

k3UUlG Ill ttuF lSeQ poOpIe III tilG HOtitu ody,
and doubtless really believe, that the
maintenance of the existing protective
tariff will promote the iron manufacturing
interests of this section of the Union.
But statistics prove that the production
OF pig iron in the South was considerably
less during the first six months Of the
present, than during the preceding six
months of last year. What the iron inter-
ests of the South, where the natural facili-
ties for manufacturing iron are unequaled
in the world, most wants, is the entire
abolition Of the tariff on iron, so that
Northern iron manufacturers, with those
of the world as their equal competitors,
will be forced to move their plants to the
South in order to avail themselves Of the
superior natural facilities referred to, and
thereby be enabled to compete successfully
with their foreign rivals. Alexandria Ga
2ette.
This is a fair specimen of free trade
argument. Boiled down it amounts to
this: The South is unable to compete with
the North in the manufacture Of iron, bat
the South would grow rich in com
petition with the world. If iron can he
manufactured SO cheaply in the South,
why has there been n decrease in the pro-
duct during the past six months? II the
superior natural facilities" which we
enjoy would "enable US to compete with
foreign rivals" why are we not able to
double our supply now instead Of decreas-
ing the output, when our only competitors
are in the North And if we cannot
meet the competition of the North, how
70 ba
competition of the world? If there were
an centre abolition of the tariff on iron, :"
| then neither the North nor the South
would manufacture, unless the wages of
! standard of wages paid by the foreign
rivals. If the duty on iron ore and coal
were abolished, it would close every mine
in this section, for the ore can be mined
and transported to this country for less
| than the cost of mining in Virginia. What
the South needs is doubling of the duty
on raw materials, so as to practically pro-
| hibit It's importation. Then the iron
master of the North would face to the
South. To abolish the duty would be to
transfer the furnace 10 the coast to meet
| the material at the waters edge. Until
| the South with all of her superior nat
ural facilities'' is able to cope with the
North and drive her from the market,
she had better restrain the ambition to
grapple with the world.
But let us look little into the figures.
The production of pig iron in the South
ern States for the last six months of 1886,
was 459, 651 tons. For the first six month
of 1887 it was 1926 tons, decrease
of 14,425 tons The imports of pig
iron, under a duty of $672 per ton,
were, for the first six months of 1886, 1884,
654 tons, and for the first six months of
1887, 2l7 ,406 tons, an increase OF 62,752
tons. If we cannot keep down the impor-
tation under duty of $6.72, how under
the sun could we be expected to compete
if the duty were abolished? If l7,406
tons come in in six months with duty OF
$672 per ton, how much would come in if
there were no duty at ALP 1t would all
come in.
There would be only one way to prevent
it: Reduce The wages paid to the laborers.
But the wage earners Of this country are
beginning to understand this tariff ques-
t1on for themselves, and when the attempt
is made to transfer the money from their
pocket to that Of their foreign rivals, }"
they will know the reason why.